God's Love for You - Sunday 12th January 2025

Webmaster • January 11, 2025

Christian Hope (1)


As a Christian, what do we hope for? Money? Power? Fame? If that is what you hope for then I am afraid you need to think again, for all these become useless when your life ends on this earth. Remember the parable of the rich man who thinks about building a bigger barn to store all his crops, but God said to him that his soul is required tonight. (Lk 12:16-21) So what does Christians ultimately hope for? Eternal Life in Heaven. You may ask: you hope in something invisible, something you can't see? That is right. As St Paul said: "Hope that is seen is not hope. For who hopes for that which he sees?" (Rom 8:24) "We don’t look at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen. For the things which are seen are temporal, but the things which are not seen are eternal." (2 Cor 4:18) Since our life on earth is only temporary, after that, then it is when it all begins, for eternity. But who gave us this hope? In Baptism, the Most Holy Trinity gives us the grace of sanctification and justification, which let us to believe, to hope, and to love God. So this Hope of ours is not something that we are born with, but it is through the grace from God we have this Hope.


(Reference: Catechism of the Catholic Church #1266)

By Webmaster May 9, 2026
Bereavement Talk time/Cuppa Would you like a chance to talk about the loss of a family member or friend? Whether it was recent or historical, the bereavement group was set up for this. We meet on 10th May at 2.30pm in St David's Chapel. Please use the back gate in Bedford Street
By Webmaster June 5, 2026
The Solemnity of the Most Holy Body and Blood of Christ (Corpus Christi) Human dignity demands that we show respect to one another, reverencing the presence of God in each person as a living tabernacle of the Lord. However, we do not bow down before God’s presence in others, nor do we kneel before them in adoration and worship. In this world, the only One Whom we worship and adore, in hidden yet physical form, is our Lord Who is fully present in the Eucharist. The Eucharist is not only a fraternal meal we share with one another, it’s a communion with God Himself that unites us with Him. It is that union with God that also unites us with every other person who is united to God through the sharing of the Most Holy Eucharist.  As we celebrate the Solemnity of Corpus Christi, spend time pondering the profound mystery of the true presence of Christ in the Eucharist. As we kneel before Him, we truly kneel before His throne in Heaven, despite the reality being veiled from our eyes. As we consume the Blessed Sacrament, we truly consume Christ Himself — Body and Blood, Soul and Divinity — and receive Him into our souls. Though we might not feel Him with our bodily senses, we must allow our spiritual sense of faith to grow so that our love for Him in this Most Precious Gift exponentially increases.
By Webmaster June 5, 2026
The Parish is facing two repairs. The flat roof over the long corridor has water penetration to the retaining wall capping stones. The tall chimney of the old boiler is blamed for some water penetration and must be removed. The second repair follows a report of water penetration of the tower. The rain entry threatens electric contacts of the bells. Again work on the capping stones and the lead covering which will call for scaffolding to the top.  Project pictures and information will be displayed in the entrance of the Church shortly. The weekly collection is not covering our outgoing costs, as we all know in paying our utility bills. We hope to have various fundraising projects to assist this essential work. If you have any ideas for fundraising please share on the list at the back of Church. Any contributions will be gratefully welcome Fr Chris & Finance Committee
By Webmaster June 5, 2026
A warm invitation is offered to all parishioners to join us for a Parish Picnic on Sunday 7 June from 12.15pm – 3pm . It will take place in the parish hall next to the church and to celebrate the international diversity of our parish community we invite you to wear national costume and bring a dish that represents your cultural heritage. As it’s a picnic, we also ask that you bring your own chairs (there aren’t many in the hall at the moment!) and, if possible, maybe even a table. If cannot bring a chair, please let one of the priests or Deacon Mike know so we can source some extra. Children are very welcome and if you have any traditional games that you would like to share with others, please feel free to do so.
By Webmaster June 5, 2026
The Second Revelation to St Margaret Mary Alacoque: 1674 In a letter to Fr Croiset, the saint wrote: “The Divine Heart was presented to me in a throne of flames, more resplendent than a sun, transparent as crystal, with this adorable wound. And it was surrounded with a crown of thorns, signifying the punctures made in it by our sins, and a cross above signifying that from the first instant of His Incarnation…And He (Jesus) made me see that He intensely desired to be known, loved, and honoured by everyone, and to snatch them from the path of perdition onto which Satan is driving them in throngs. It was this that made Him decide to manifest His Heart to everyone with all the treasures of love, mercy, grace, sanctification, and salvation It contains… This Heart of God must be honoured under the form of His heart of flesh, whose image He wanted exposed, and also worn on me and on my heart. He promised to pour out into the hearts of all those who honour the image of His Heart all the gifts it contains in fullness, and for all those who would wear this image on their persons  He promised to imprint His love on their hearts and to destroy all unruly inclinations. Everywhere this holy image was exposed to be honoured, He would pour forth His graces and blessings. This blessing was, as it were, a final effort of His love. He wanted to bestow upon everyone during these final centuries such loving redemption in order to snatch them from the control of Satan, whom He intended to destroy. He willed to place us under the sweet freedom of His rule of love…”
By Webmaster June 5, 2026
O God, who in this wonderful Sacrament have left us a memorial of your Passion, grant us, we pray, so to revere the sacred mysteries of your Body and Blood that we may always experience in ourselves the fruits of your redemption. Who live and reign with God the Father in the unity of the Holy Spirit,  God, for ever and ever. Amen.
By Webmaster May 30, 2026
The Procession will start at 3:00pm from Nazareth House (please arrive by 2:30pm), moving along Colum Road and Park Place, past the Museum and City Hall, head down Park Place and along Queen Street before finishing at St David’s Cathedral. Refreshments will be available afterwards.
By Webmaster May 30, 2026
St Peter's RC Primary School CSI Report The latest Catholic School Inspectorate Report for St Peter's RC Primary was published on Thursday 21 May, and the school is rated as "Excellent" in every single area, across Catholic Life and Mission, Religious Education and Collective Worship. You can read the report here: www.rcadcschools.org/StPetersRCPrimarySchool401648%2021.05.26.pdf For Admissions visit: www.stpeters.wales/ admissions/ or email the school via admissions@stpeters.wales
By Webmaster May 30, 2026
The First Revelation to St Margaret Mary Alacoque: 27 Dec 1673 St Margaret Mary was a French Visitation nun. Jesus revealed His Love for mankind through His Sacred Heart and His Sacred Heart devotion to her in several mystical visions between 1673 and 1675. I was praying before the Blessed Sacrament…He made me repose for a long time upon His Sacred Breast, where He disclosed to me the marvels of His Love and the inexplicable secrets of His Sacred Heart…Then it was that, for the first time, He opened to me His Divine Heart… Jesus: “My Divine Heart is so inflamed with love for everyone…being unable any longer to contain within Itself the flames of Its burning Charity, It must spread them abroad by your means, and manifest Itself to them (mankind) in order to enrich them with the precious treasures… contain graces of sanctification and salvation necessary to withdraw them from the abyss of perdition. I have chosen you as an abyss of unworthiness and ignorance for the accomplishment of this great design, in order that everything may be done by Me.” After this, He asked me for my heart, which I begged Him to take. He did so and placed it in His own Adorable Heart, where He showed it to me as a little atom which was being consumed in this great furnace, and withdrawing it thence as a burning flame in the form of a heart, He restored it to the place whence He had taken it… Jesus: “See, My well-beloved, I give you a precious token of My love, having enclosed within your side a little spark of its glowing flames, that may serve you for a heart and consume you to the last moment of your life; its ardour will never be exhausted…As a proof that the great favour I have done to you is not imagination…although I have closed the wound in your side, the pain will always remain. If before, you have taken only the name of My slave, I now give you that of the beloved disciple of My Sacred Heart.” (Excerpts from St Margaret Mary Alacoque’s autobiography)
By Webmaster May 30, 2026
In the Nicene Creed we pray: “…I believe in one Lord Jesus Christ, the Only Begotten Son of God, born of the Father before all ages. God from God, Light from Light, true God from true God, begotten, not made, consubstantial with the Father… I believe in the Holy Spirit, the Lord, the giver of life, who proceeds from the Father and the Son, who with the Father and the Son is adored and glorified…” The formulation of the Trinitarian relationship in the Creed reveals the profound depth of God’s nature: God is of one essence, yet three distinct Persons. Each Person is involved in an eternal, loving relationship with the others. If these definitions of God seem beyond your grasp, you are correct. They are. Even if you were to spend years studying the best theology on the Trinity, you would still only be able to comprehend a slight image of Who God is. The best way to grow in a deeper understanding of God and all of reality is through the deepest forms of contemplative prayer. Contemplative prayer is not something you can simply turn on. It is an infused prayer that only God can bestow as He invites you to enter into His divine presence. Contemplative prayer begins with a profound purification process by which all sin is purged from one’s life, as well as all attachment to sin, and then all conceptual knowledge of God is eliminated so that the mind can gaze upon God through infused knowledge. As you strive to deepen your own prayer life, offer your praise to God the best you can. Profess your unwavering belief in the Creed, despite not fully understanding it. Most importantly, open your heart to God, Who is Love, and love Him in return with every power of your soul. By doing so, you will be on the slow and steady road to a mystical union of love with the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.